The International Socialist League - DAVID SDffiLANE The proletarianisation of African people which was brought about through the most brutal mass expropriation of our people and colonial plunder, marked the beginning of a new struggle by a class which has been destined by history to lead South Africa to communism, the radiant future of mankind. Karl Marx and * -\ Engels in the Communist Manifesto say: £ ;- "All previous historical movements were move- ^ -2 ments of minorities. The proletarian move- £ ** ment is the self-conscious, independent

movement of the immense majority in the *.* interest of the immense majority. The pro­ letariat, the lowest stratum of oar present society, cannot stir, cannot raisf? itself up, -r:fr?$ without the whole superincumbent strata of official society being sprung into the air." The working class to be a class for itself undergoes a lpt"rof metarmophoses, that is from the point of view of numbers ahi^j; organisation. EARLY UNIONS The working class is educated during the course of exploi­ tation by the bourgeoisie. They learn lessons in factories, in the clubs, associations, trade unions, political parties and during strikes when they find themselves confronted not only by the bourgeoisie alone but by its instruments of power as well. In South Africa the dramatic transformation caused by mining and industry shook every inch of South Africa. This encouraged a lot of British immigrant workers to come to South Africa. For them this was a blessing because they were to uplift their own economic positions. Some of these immigrant workers started as independent diggers but with time they were thrown into their rightful class positions, i.e. working class, as a result of the inherent competition involved in capitalism. The British immigrant workers had a lot of advantages oyer the local workers. They were already seasoned in class battles, and on top of that they came with skills. This monopoly of skills by white work­ ers was to be the policy of racist South Africa in protecting the whites against Africans. The capitalists using this as the main tool to keep white workers away from the class strug^ 32 gle, making them feel part of the real rulers of South Africa. 'On the other hand the presence of foreign immigrant workers accelerated the formation of unions. From as early as the 1880s-1900s some unions started to mushroom. These were the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and Typographical unions, etc. Fuller expression of this was the South African Labour Party (SALP) formed in 1909. The SALP , was an all white political body with mixed ideas. Some ele­ ments were conservatives like Cresswell and others were fore- sighted socialists. The progressive wing within the SALP was able to ensure the reflection of socialist views in the consti­ tution and managed to secure affiliation of the SALP to the 2nd UInternational. The main decisive factor was to be the atti- ^tude of the SALP towards the oppressed majority. It became * clear with time that the right-wing ideas were domi- ; nant when this element came into the picture. In 1913 when the regime passed the Native Land Act, the • Labour Party was passive and when the question of admitting -'Coloureds into the Labour Party was raised there was opposi­ tion by the right-wing elements although they failed. In the "-executive of the Labour Party there were outstanding princi- • J pled internationalists like W.H. Andrews, Ivon Jones and S.P. Bunting. THE WAR YEARS When the imperialist war broke out in 1914> the SALP remained faithful to resolutions passed at Stutgatt by the International Socialist Congress i.e. anti-imperialist war resolution. This was maintained within the South African Labour Party until the South African government joined the war on the side of Britain and its allies. Like in other countries this brought about a conflict within the Labour Party, sifting the principled socialists from opportunist forces. The socialists formed what was known as the War on War League and in their weekly journal, "The International", they educated the people about the class essence of the war. The struggle within the Labour Party continued between prog­ ressive and reactionary forces. When the right-wingers wanted to force candidates to pledge, support for an unjust war the internationalists resigned from the Labour Party and ultimate­ ly formed in September 1915 the International Socialist League of South Africa (ISL). This was joined by the Social­ ist Labour Party which was characterised by Be Leonite ideas. De Leonism was a distorted version of Marxism popularised by the writings of Daniel De Leon, an American socialist. This trend denounced all types of parliamentary activity and even desired to boycott craft and trade unions, THE ISL From its inception, the ISL dedicated itself to the strug^- gle of the South African working class, both black and white. It saw the destruction of capitalism in South Africa as inter­ linked with the struggle pf the oppressed people. The ISL organised Socialist Sunday schools and night classes for the' Africans, which were conducted by Ivon Jones, who can also be regarded as the father of the Communist Party of South Africa. These were baptismal schools for the South African working class. In 1916 the First Congress of the ISL adopted a peti­ tion of rights, a document that was demanding political, eco­ nomic and social rights for Africans. The Indian Workers' Industrial Union of Durban and the African National Congress shared a platform with the ISL in the 1917 conference. In the same year the ISL fought against the Native Administra­ tive Bill which was aimed at finalising African proletarian­ isation. The first trade union organisation for Africans, the In­ dustrial Workers.of Africa (IWA) was engineered by the ISL. The slogan used by the IWA then was "Sizi funa zonke" (We want them all). This trade union was later absorbed in 1919 into one of the most powerful trade unions ih South Africa at the time, the Industrial Commercial Workers1 Union (ICTJ). An orga­ nisation that was to command the following of thousands of workers in South Africa. During the Bucket Strike and the great African miners' strike of 1919 the ISL featured promi­ nently. 'Leaflets were issued to the white workers, urging them not to scab. Others were meant for the education of the African working class. INTERNATIONALISM The ISL continued to be a revolutionary and consistent internationalist movement. When the world shaking event, the Great October Socialist Revolution, occured, the ISL took it upon itself to educate the South African working class and all the toiling masses about its significance. Some articles were quoted directly from "Pravda", the official organ of the Com­ munist Party of the Soviet Union. Ivon Jones, who was editor of "The International" wrote under the following title: "Dawn of the World"; "What we are witnessing is an unfolding of the world-wide Commonwealth of Labour, which if the oppressed of all lands only knew.## would sweep them into'transports of gladness. It 34 is this high ecstasy which animates the Russian'people today... Our*task in South Africa is a .great one. We must educate the people in the principles of the Russian Revolution...". This - was the type of spirit in which the pioneers of the CPSA acce­ pted the victory of the Great October Sociaiist Revolution. When in 1920 the Comintern was established, the ISL was among­ st the first parties to affiliate and some of the outstanding leaders, Ivon Jones and Sam Barlin, participated in its deli­ berations. In this mighiy Year o£ the Youth, when the SACP marks its 60th Anniversary, we salute all the co-founders of the Party for their unswerving will to fight against capitalism and their dedication to the cause of the working class. Indeed the ISL served as a firm basis for the CPSA which was to chart a path(during sxty years of an. ardous and most difficult struggle.

HONOUR TO LABOUR

He who swings a mighty hammer r; %rt c r: He who reaps a field of corn, . ' £ *- C He who breaks the marshy meadow ^ '^ £ ^ To provide for wife, for children, <£ ^ j^ <"*' He who rows against the current, &J -j ^ JT He who weary at the loom «* > 5. ° Weaves with wool and tow and flax £3 '» -^ That his fai2>-haired young may flourish, g- £ £ * Honour that man, praise that worker] Honour every callous hand! Honour every drop of sweat That is shed in mill and foundry! Honour every dripping forehead At the plough. And let tha,t man Who with mind and spirit's labour * ^<* - Hungering ploughs be.not forgotten, • - PERDIHAHD JEKTLTGBATH

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